The dramatic events and colorful personalities of the Tudor period remain ever fascinating. We will consider such topics as the Reformation in England, the Spanish Armada, and the vibrant intellectual and cultural life of the Elizabethan era, as well as Henry VIII and his six wives, Thomas Wolsey, Thomas More, Lady Jane Grey, Elizabeth the “Virgin Queen,” Walter Raleigh, Francis Bacon, and Mary Queen of Scots. Please read the introduction of Early Modern England 1485-1714: A Narrative History for the first session.

Frank A. Biletz holds a Ph.D. in history from the University of Chicago, with a primary specialization in modern British and Irish history. He is Lecturer in History at Loyola University Chicago and has been teaching seminars at the Newberry since 1994.

Materials ListRequired:Bucholz, Robert, and Newton Key. Early Modern England 1485-1714: A Narrative History (2nd edition). Blackwell Publishing, 2008. ISBN: 9781405162753 (Please note that the 2004 edition of this text is also acceptable.)Duffy, Eamon. The Voices of Morebeth: Reformation and Rebellion in an English Village. Yale University Press, 2003. ISBN: 9780300098259Levin, Carole. The Heart and Stomach of a King: Elizabeth I and the Politics of Sex and Power. University of Pennsylvania Press, 1994. ISBN: 978-0812215335

CPDU credit is available for Illinois teachers seeking recertification.